STAFF and students at the University of Reading held a special demonstration yesterday against government cuts to higher education.
The lobby was organised by members of the University and College Union (UCU), began at 1pm outside the Carrington building at the university’s Whiteknights campus
The government has signalled its intention to slash university teaching budgets by 80% and staff are concerned that this could lead to a number of further redundancies at the university, with many departments likely to be restructured.
Over the last two years the university has closed its School of Continuing Education and School of Health and Social Care, and is in the process of trying to axe 37 posts from a number of departments, including computer science, electronics, cybernetics, chemistry, classics, film, theatre and television.
The union has warned the university not to use the current funding uncertainties as an excuse to make punitive job cuts and called on management to join with staff and students in opposing the government’s reforms.
Ian Bland, UCU branch chair at the University of Reading, said: ‘It is essential that we raise awareness about the impact of the government’s higher education reforms.
‘They will be a disaster for the sector and will have a devastating effect on local provision. We have already seen a number of valuable departments close here over the last year and we cannot afford any more redundancies.
‘The last thing staff and students need are more cuts and management must not use the current funding uncertainties as an excuse.
‘They should join with us in opposing these disastrous reforms that will do lasting damage to the sector. UCU wants to work with the university to minimise the impact of these cuts, but we are concerned that the university seems unwilling to engage with its staff in discussions.’
Students occupying a Cambridge University building to protest against education cuts intend to defy a court order requiring them to leave.
The students, who have been staging a sit-in protest in the university’s Old School since Friday, have called on the university’s management to negotiate.
Yesterday, the university obtained a possession order requiring the students to leave the building ‘forthwith’ or face being in contempt of court.
The group, broadly known as Cambridge Defend Education, issued a statement calling on the vice chancellor to negotiate with the protesters and recognise their demands and expressing their intentions to remain in occupation.
It read: ‘We urge the University management to break their silence and arrange an opportunity for formal dialogue with us immediately.’
They referred to the court order as ‘disproportionate action’.
Yesterday the atmosphere in the sit-in was positive. Adam Booth, a student in occupation, said: ‘I think we’re in a really strong position. I think we’re here for the long haul.’
The order obtained ‘means that any student remaining in the Combination Room from now on is in contempt of Court and committing a criminal act.’
The occupiers have received support from more than 200 academics who signed a letter in support of the group.
Cambridge Defend Education has criticised president of National Union of Students Aaron Porter because they believe he has not followed through on a promise to provide financial and legal aid for the occupiers.
As Vince Cable hints at a u-turn, UCU rubbishes claims that entering coalition invalidated promises to oppose fees increase.
The University and College Union (UCU) today sent a simple message to the Liberal Democrats as they deliberate about how to vote on the future of university funding. The union said the party’s MPs should stick to the pledge they made before the election to vote against any rise in university fees.
UCU said the general public would not accept any other option after Liberal Democrat election candidates made it clear to voters that they would vote against a fee rise when campaigning for their vote.
The union also rubbished recent claims from some leading Liberal Democrats that the fact the party went into coalition government was an excuse to break their promise.
The union’s advice to the Liberal Democrats comes as Vince Cable hinted he may not vote for the fee increase and the Office for Budget Responsibility warned that the government’s reforms would increase the national debt.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: ‘It’s make your mind up time for politicians on the fees issue and we have a simple message to the Liberal Democrats – stick to the promise you made the country about opposing an increase.
‘Recent claims from some Liberal Democrats that entering a coalition government allows their MPs to renege on the promise to vote against a fees increase is nonsense.
‘A coalition government was always a likely outcome during the election, an outright win for the Liberal Democrats never was. Manifesto promises cannot just be torn up after the election.’
The University and College Union (UCU) and the National Union of Students (NUS) have set out their plans for the next stage in their joint campaign against education funding cuts and plans to raise university fees to £9,000 a year.
The organisations’ plans centre around action in the lead up to the vote in Parliament on government plans to triple university fees and slash university teaching budgets.
Peaceful protests are planned across the country on the day before the vote, MPs will be lobbied on the day of the vote and there will be a rally in London on the day as well.
Protestors will then hold a ‘candlelit vigil’ with 9,000 candles to represent the potential level of annual fees if the proposals get Parliamentary approval.
Since the organisations’ joint demonstration on Wednesday 10 November there has been an unprecedented level of student activism against devastating cuts to education, the axing of the education maintenance allowance (EMA), the proposed trebling of tuition fees and now the proposed abolition of AimHigher.
The day of the vote on higher fees is not yet known, but UCU and NUS are putting plans in motion to ensure there are huge protests across the country to focus MPs’ attention on the damage the proposals would do.
Both organisations will take the plans to their executive committees this week for final approval.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: ‘We need to expose these shabby and devastating proposals and the damage they will do to our universities, colleges and communities.
‘The march of 10 November organised by NUS and UCU has transformed the politics of higher education and placed the coalition’s fees policy under heightened scrutiny.
‘Further protests today coupled with hints of ministerial u-turns mean we must keep the pressure up ahead of the vote and on the day itself. MPs must be left in no doubt of the strength of opposition to these plans and the consequences of voting for them.’
NUS president, Aaron Porter, said: ‘The joint NUS and UCU march that brought together 50,000 people on 10 November has provided the spur to a new wave of activism and lobbying, placing the government’s policy on fees and student support policy under huge pressure.
‘We will continue to work with UCU to ensure that students, lecturers parents and our communities keep that pressure up as the vote approaches. MPs can be left in no doubt as to the widespread public opposition to these plans or of the consequences of steamrollering them through Parliament.
‘For the third time in less than a month thousands of students have taken to the streets to protest against the government’s attacks on further and higher education.
‘Despite repeated dismissals by Nick Clegg that these are uninformed protesters, students are intelligent, articulate people who are not being listened to by those in whom they placed their hope for a different politics.’